Orchestras: Big Five Plus One?

After sitting in on rehearsals last week
for the U.S. premiere of his two-hour oratorio, the Passion and Death
of Jesus Christ According to St. Luke, Polish Composer Krzysztof
Penderecki was exuberant. The conductor, he said, "is excellent. He
understands modern musiche has composed it himself. I have complete
trust in him." Penderecki was talking about the musical director of the
Minneapolis Symphony, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, 44. Later in the week,
Skrowaczewski returned the compliment by leading his orchestra,
soloists and local choristers in two austerely jolting performances of
the Passion at Minneapolis' Northrup Auditorium.